Lloyd T. Belt and Francis T. Belt were brothers. A George W. Belt is mentioned as a clerk on the TECHE when L.T. was either Capt or owner, or both.

Their boats:
1840-45, sometime between, TIOGA, L.T. started his career on this boat.
1847, PLANTER, the 1st one, owner w/ brother Francis.
1852, Apr. 9, L.T. was Master of SALUDA when she blew up killing 27. Charles S. LaBarge, brother of Capt. Joseph LaBarge, was pilot and died.
These probably under the Bayou Teche Packet Company
1868, ARABIAN
1870s, GEORGE C. WOLFF
1878, owner, JOHN M. CHAMBERS
1886, TECHE

Anson G. Bennett

By Wayne Johnson
Historic City of Jefferson

We know little about the origins of Anson G. Bennett; but the Hartford Times newspaper when reporting his death indicated that Bennett was born in 1797 and died at Cote sans Dessein September 12, 1846 at the age of 49. He married Mollie Anne Moore in Callaway County, April 14, 1825 and the young couple settled at Cote sans Dessein.

Bennett first appears on the official record as Postmaster at Cote sans Dessein January 01, 1828 until the post office at Cote sans Dessein was discontinued June 09, 1829. At this point we lose track of Bennett until a brief newspaper item appeared in the New York Evening Post, July 09, 1833 regarding "Captain A.G. Bennett, master of the steamboat Yellowstone, returning from a trip up the Missouri River bringing a rich cargo of skins of various kinds for the American Fur Company. The Yellowstone ascended the Missouri to the mouth of the river from which she derives her name." On the Yellowstone's second trip up the Missouri in the summer of 1833 cholera broke out on board and by the time the steamboat reached the Kansas River, so many of the crew were dead including the pilot, engineer and all the firemen that Captain Bennett had to put ashore. Bennett left for St. Louis to engage another crew leaving a young clerk named Joseph LaBarge in command. LaBarge, on previous voyages on different steamers, made the most of his opportunities to learn how to handle a steamboat.

When the Missouri settlers heard that cholera was rampant on the Yellowstone, they proceeded to the river to burn the boat unless LaBarge moved it. He became a one-man crew-fireman, engineer, pilot. He got up steam and single-handedly piloted the Yellowstone far enough upstream to be free from the threats of the Missourians. Eventually Captain Bennett returned with a new crew and proceeded to finish the trip. With his reputation as a pilot established, LaBarge he could command almost any steamboat he wanted. LaBarge eventually became the most respected steamboat pilot, owner and line owner of all of the captains of the Missouri River.

On the 1833 trip, German naturalist Maximilian zu Wied-Neuwied, together with Swiss artist Karl Bodmer traveled the Missouri River on board the Yellowstone. Prince Maximilian's diary relating the details of his trip up the Missouri River leaves little doubt as to the state of activity along the river. Bodmer's paintings, along with those of George Catlin, who had traveled upriver on the Yellowstone on an earlier trip, remain as the most accurate depictions of life among the native Americans available. In 1836, the Yellowstone would play a pivotal role in Texas battle for independence. From here we hear little of Bennett until February 26, 1838, when the post office was reestablished at Cote sans Dessein with Bennett reappointed as postmaster. There he remained and operated the post office and a steamboat landing at the east end of the hill at Cote sans Dessein, named Bennett's Landing, until his death in 1846. His name is still associated with that landing in the minds of residents of the area. Only the memory and the rocky prominence nearby remains of the once busy village of Cote sans Dessein twelve miles downriver on the north bank of the Missouri near its confluence with the Osage River.

Bennett has been widely attributed with many unscrupulous actions while piloting on the Missouri River. The most widely circulated was his propensity to carry large quantities of whisky, disguised in wooden crates, onboard his steamers for sale to the Indians in the upper reaches of the Missouri River. When his steamer was stopped at Fort Leavenworth and about to be boarded and searched for contraband, he commanded several of his deck hands "to take those dead bodies off the ship", explaining to the inspectors that there were several deaths aboard due to cholera. He was immediately ordered to keep the bodies onboard and proceed. In another incident in which he was boarded for inspection, the inspectors found a number of strange parts among the cargo, which were seemingly out of place. When asked about these items, Bennett explained that they were important parts for maintenance of the steamboat boiler, when, in actuality, they were the disassembled parts of a still, which would be used for the production of alcohol further upriver.

From the trips of Bennett on the Yellowstone and his later trips up the Missouri River, we see the heroic actions of several associated persons come forward among the baser motives of Bennett, the American Fur Company and Chouteau family. Bennett returned to his beloved Cote sans Dessein and, by appearances, led a very settled life. We must assume that his reputation among the rivermen of the time contributed to his success at Bennett's Landing.

Fred A. Blanks

The Daily Telegraph
Sunday, March 8, 1886
Page 4, Column 1
DEATH OF CAPT. FRED A. BLANKS
N.O. Picayune March 6.
The sad intelligence of the death of Capt. Fred A. Blanks, which occurred at 10:15 o'clock last night, will be received with profound sorrow by all who knew him. The immediate cause of his death was inflammatory rheumatism, with which he had been a sufferer for several years. About ten days ago he was taken with an unusually severe attack of the disease, and continued to grow worse daily, and on Thursday he partly lost consciousness and remained in that condition until his spirit took flight to the shore beyond.

Capt. Blanks was born in Lowndes county, Ala., in 1833, and at the age of seven years came to this city with his father, sister and brothers. After remaining here a short time the family removed to Columbia, Caldwell parish, La., then a mere settlement, and Fred Blanks was placed in a private school in the village to prepare himself for college. This school he attended until he was about sixteen, when he was sent to the Centenary College at Jackson, La., where he remained for three sessions.

Leaving college, he returned to Columbia, and went into the mercantile business with his father Mr. R.A. Blanks, in which he continued up to the breaking out of the war, when he enlisted in the Twelfth Louisiana Regiment, and was appointed First Lieutenant of the Caldwell Invincibles (sic). He served as a soldier with credit to himself and his company for one year, and then resigned and returned to his home in Columbia, where he was made enrolling officer for the parish. He was afterwards elected to the Legislature, and made a most faithful representative of the people of Caldwell parish.

At the close of the war he again entered the merchantile (sic) business in Columbia, and continued in it until 1867. In that year he commenced his steamboat life by purchasing an interest in the steamer Ouachita Bell from his brother, Capt. J. W. Blanks, who had been on the river for several years.

Capt. Blanks succeeded as a steamboatman from the start, and during his career as such made quite a snug fortune. He obtained his first license as captain in 1871, and afterwards comanded the steamers Ouachita Belle, IDAHO, Tallaquah, Lottawana, Ruth, Vicksburg, Bannock City, Bastrop, Fred A. Blanks, H. Hanna Blanks, John H. Hanna, and a number of others.

Of a majority of the above named boats he was the principal owner. About twelve years ago the Ouachita River Line was formed with Capt. J.W. Blanks as President, and the following year Capt. Fred A. Blanks was elected as its head. Following the Ouachita River Consolidated Line about five years ago. Capt. Fred Blanks, was also elected President of this concern and held the position up to the time of his death.

Capt. Blanks married when about 20 years of age, the lady of his choice being Miss Zenobia Oliver, a stepdaughter of Mr. N. M. Davis, a Baptist minister of Memphis. To them one child was born, but died at the age of four years. The deceased had been a resident of this city for a number of years, and being of liberal views, was ever ready to lend his assistance in improvements which were for the public good. He was always noted for his sterling qualities and acts of charity, and his loss will not only be mourned by his family and friends in this city, but by the people of the entire Ouachita Valley.

His benevolence and unselfishness may be inferred from the fact that he adopted at different times eleven children, all of whom are now of age except three-two boys and a girl, the eldest being 14 years old. No man was more universally beloved and respected than "Capt. Fred," as he was famillarly (sic) called, and his memory will long live in the heart of those who knew him. The deceased was a Master Mason in good standing. He leaves a wife, the children above named and two brothers.

Captain Joseph Boisseau,
From Biography
Sept 19, 1999
From site visitor Lee Jacobsen
Isearch-cgi 1.20.06 (File: boisseauj.txt)
Bio: Capt. Joseph Boisseau, Caddo Parish La.
Source: Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Northwest Louisiana
The Southern Publishing Company, Chicago & Nashville, 1890
Submitted by: Suzanne Shoemaker

Capt. Joseph Boisseau, a cotton planter and factory, owner and dealer in real estate in Shreveport, La., has in his veins the blood of the old French Huguenots who came to this country on account of their religious belief, taking up their abode in the State of Virginia. Capt. Boisseau was born in Dinwiddie County, Va., January 23, 1829, to Joseph and Julia (Rives) Boisseau, who were also Virginians, the father being an honest and fairly successful tiller of the soil. In the winter of 1848 he moved to Harrison County, Tex., and continued to make his home in the Lone Star State until his death, which occurred about 1868. After this event his widow removed to Louisiana and here she passed from life in 1874, having borne a family of eight children, five of whom are living: Mrs. Ann E. Jones, Capt. Joseph, Mrs. Mary Tucker, William and James. Capt. Joseph Boisseau was reared principally in the State of Tennessee, his early days being spent on his father's plantation, and in that State his early education was acquired.

In September, 1849, he came to Shreveport, La., and secured employment as a clerk in a warehouse, being engaged in billing and shipping, his employer being E. C. Hart (now deceased). He remained with him until 1853, then began steam boating on the Upper Red River and down to New Orleans, and in time became commander of the steamers "Marion", "Newsboy" and "Trent". He continued to follow this calling with fair success until 1861, then enlisted in the First Louisiana Regiment of Caddo Rifles, and served the cause he espoused faithfully until November of that year, when he put in a substitute and went to New Orleans and purchased the steamer "Trent", expecting the blockade to be raised, and fitted her up for that purpose. The blockade failing, he ran his boat in the service of the Confederate government until some time in 1863, when he sold the "Trent", and was afterward appointed by Jefferson Davis as pilot of the gunboat "Missouri", which had been built at Shreveport. This boat he took to Alexandria, to defend the forts at that place, and was there kept until the final surrender, the Captain receiving his parole on this boat. He then became pilot of the steamer "Cotton", that took the generals in command of the trans-Mississippi Department to the mouth of Red River, where the final terms of surrender were made, their names being Buckner, Price, Maj. Means and Lieut. Carter. After surrendering, the boat "Cotton" was given up to the Federal officers at Shreveport.

Capt. Boisseau then returned to Shreveport, La., and embarked in the wholesale grocery and cotton business, the firm of Walsh & Boisseau became sole proprietor, and as such has since continued. He has seen Shreveport grow from a village to its present admirable proportions, and he has always identified himself with its interests in every way. he owns about 6,000 acres of fine farming land, controls as much more, and is the owner of some valuable business buildings in the city, which are located on Front and Milan Streets, and several choice residence lots, which he offers for sale on the most reasonable terms. He is one of the heaviest tax-payers in the city, is doing well in every enterprise in which he is engaged, and is one of the substantial and honored citizens of this section, for he is public spirited, upright in every worthy particular, and is kind, generous and manly at all times. He has never been an aspirant for office, buy has paid strict attention to the details of his business, and as a result, is one of the wealthy men of this section. He is a member and director of the Cotton Exchange, and is also one of the directors of the Commercial National Bank.

He was married in 1866 to Miss Josephine E. Boisseau, of Virginia, by whom he has a family of four sons and three daughters: Joseph, Jr., Nettie P., Elizabeth S., Richie W., James H., Richard W. and Robert C. Mrs. Boisseau is a worthy member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and socially he belongs to the Masonic fraternity and the K. of P.

Captain Leslie R. Broadfoot
Obituary
June 27, 1999 From site visitor Suzanne Varnell This is a newspaper article on the death of Captain Broadfoot that my mother saved in a scrapbook. He has no relation to us, I don't think, even though it states a Hoffmann, which we do have in the family tree. I'm not sure. But thought that it might be of some interest to your site.

"Captain Broadfoot, Retired Pilot, Dies Captain Leslie R. Broadfoot, 60, 1415 South Third Street, member of a family of river pilots, died Saturday afternoon at 1:10 o'clock after a long illness. Capt.Broadfoot was widely known among rivermen on the Ohio and other inland rivers, and operated as a master and pilot with the Fowler and other lines for many years. He was forced to retire several years ago because of ill health. He is survived by a daughter, Miss Anita H, Broadfoot, and sister, Mrs. Ethel Broadfoot Hoffman, Captain Nelson M. Broadfoot, of Paducah, his cousin. Private funeral services will be held Monday morning at 10:30 o'clock at Roth funeral chapel.

Friends may call at Roth's preceding the rites. Burial will be in Oak Grove cemetery. Pallbearers will include Forest Crutchfield, Sam Felts, Harley Robinette, Ralph Bishop, Harry Lloyd and William Findley."

The obituary was a clipping from a newspaper. The paper's name and date were cut away